GM Valerij Popov
annotates online the games of the 9th round:
Dortmund
July, 21 2001
Hello dear chess lovers! The not lovers we ask to leave!
"Russian chess" in my person presents (rathe try) show
you the 9th round of the supertournament in Dortmund.
You will able with us not only to be bored near the
monitors analysing the games of the elite chessplayers
but also bravely break your monitors in assault of
the excitement for the Russian participants.
In our next online report (according to many requests
of chess fans) we will place the review of the market
of cheap monitors - especially suitable for a "real
sport fans".
Today are playing...
The Champions' game: Kramnik-Anand.
Braingames's Champion, playing with wite pieces will
try to reach "not elite" (to all fans of vice-Champion
cartel - a once more phrase of your favourite) Topalov,
as well as to push down deaper... to the bottom of the
tournament table his rival - the FIDE champion.
The game of the Elite: (there is such a party!):
Adams-Morozevich. The rivals compete for the 4th place
in the World ranking table far away - there is a cause
to disput one more time.
The game Simple:
Leko-Topalov. The chessplayers simply play chess, simply
clearing who is the winner in the tournament...
No one meeting will give you to be bored - remain with
us!
The openings review:
Kramnik-Anand
(D27)
As usually firstly - nothing new. The Accepted Queens
Gambit - Vishy's opening for "supers", Kramnik's variation
7.Bb3 - all as always ... With the move 11..Na5 Vishy
first goes away from their recent game between the same
rivals - there was 11...h6 ( Kramnik-Anand, Mainz rapid
2001 1/2), as looked rather suspiciously - h6-pawn became
at once the target of the white pieces. The position after
the Knight's jump on a5 met 2 times in practice, at that
both times at the last FIDE WC in India: Tkachiev-Lesiege
1-0 and Gelfand-Shirov 1/2. Gelfand fighted not a long time
after 12.d5?!, Tkachiev played similarly with Kramnik -
Anand first went away from original: 13...Ra7!? - an
interesting novelty, the Canadian's choice in favour of
14...g6?! (there it was a transposition of moves 13...Bb7)
turned out to be unhappy. Vladimir sacrifice a pawn for
the sake of activity (still is early to say about the
victory) by way of
15.d5!? - he is strong in such positions, White has 2
Bishops, Black's pieces on the Queen side are no
coordinated. The fight is in the future - true the game
goes on the 2 results - hardly somebody will bet for
the Blak's victory after 17...h5 ...
Adams-Morozevich
(C03) - Here is also the old counts.
The French Defence with 3.Nd2 Be7 - Morozevich's variation.
Adams uses a rare variation 4.e5 , and to 4...Я5 - a more
rare continuation 5.dc - the last time White try to fight
for the advantage only with 5.Qg4 (for example see the
game: Adams-Morozevich, Frankfurt West-Masters rapid 1999
0-1). On the board super-rare variation, naturally Russian
first goes away completely from theoretical ways -
8...f6!? Again an interesting Black's novelty! Quickly
Alexander gets a pawns center - the question is will Mikky
will be able to undermine it suitable. If no - Black has
the advantage.
Leko-Topalov
(B30) - Well... We see that Peter has not
still learned all theory - if on the 3rd move in reply
to 2..Nc6 in Sicilian he transfer the Bishop on b5...
The variation with 3...d6 relates nevertheless to B51
but not to B30 ...
With 6.h3 Peter repeats the recent Adams's games with
Tiviakov and Jusupov from the Wijk aan Zee 2001.
There in both games was played 6...Ne5 .
The move 6...a6 7.Bf1 e6 serve as an invitation to the
French structures after
8.d4 - and here Leko gives a novelty
8.Na3!? - it seems that nobody played so here... it's
not a fact that will do it in future.
Veselin trades the Knight over the e5-square with
10...Ne5 (if the space is less then it's in time) and
after 14...d5 15.e5 the rivals flow along the French
waterway... Here all will be decided not quickly because
the center is closed... :)
The time control is approachs... but not to all. Got out
of the distance the Champions. Better to say - the Hindu
was brought out on the stretcher who was knok-outed by
Vladimir. Bravo, Russian! All was interesting in this
game but the most interesting was to Vladimir. He
pleasured a lot!
So, let's start from the main:
Kramnik-Anand
(D27)
After the break 15.d5! Black failed to capture on d5
with a piece - 16...Nd5 since 17.Qe4 g6 18.Bh6 with an
extra Quality - it's impossible 18...Re8 19.Qd4 - with
a double blow on the Rook Ю7 and the threate of mate on
g7. The similar variation is possible in case of 15...Nd5.
If 15...ed then after 16.Qh4 arised a structure from the
game only with a couple of pieces what is obviously more
profitable for White in the attack.
I am doubt in the move 13...Ra7 ... :).
The possibility for Black to strengthen the play I think
may be looked for after a quiet move 18.Rfe1. 18...Nc6
certainly extarnely is right - the Knight is pulled to
the theatre of the fighting acts but tactically is not
justified. After
19.g4! the pawn is lost...This why supposed by the
computer 18...Qc8! with an attack on Я2 and an idea Qg4
deserves a very steadfast attention! The endgame with
an weakness on d5 and a broken Kingside certainly worse
and hanged Vishy has not rendered any resistance - all
5 white pieces attacked the Black's redutes. The black
once "relaxed". After 22...Ne4 in all variations the
computer puts +-, but also 22...gh didn't helped after
23.Bh6 Re8 24.Re3 with a difficult position for Black.
As one of the last possibilities to fight in the game
I would point 20...Nh7!? - with an idea to disturb
the further opening of the black King after h5-h6.
The forces were today not equal. What is happened with
Anand - there is no any firmness in the play...
Adams-Morozevich
(C03)
Here also the chessplayer whose name is on "ю" don't
show any firmness in the play. The multiple transfer
of the white Queen (Qe2-e5-d4-c5(?)-e3 has not weakened
Black at all. Rather in opposite helped him to develop
completely all the fighting units. Mikky has not
undermined the center. As a result Alexander launched
first the active operations in the center and on the
Kingside with
18...e4!?. It's like that not in Englishman style to
meddle in any advantures. Calmer to play 18.Be2 but
Adams accept the challenge
19.Be4 Morozevich needed just only this - for the pawn
Moscower gains an irrational position with a
half-opened King! Mikky simply failed to drive - he
makes the computer moves but in an irrational play a
human is stronger than the machine. Who don't believe
must to read Bronstein! A poor Comp in all variants
in this game first puts the advantage to White and then
changes the valuation. Is it possible that the main
mistake is 18.Be4?! Further all is rather force. In any
case for White. Maybe only on the 22th move 22.Qa7 -
(to eat a pawn!) - the computer's move is different
with Mikky's one. Viva the Russian! And thanks for a
human's chess!
Leko-Topalov
(B51) The partners played easly and simply.
Probably this why have not created something good :).
Leko pretended to attack on the Kingside, Topalov -
to find a counterplay on the Queenside and in the center.
The competitors completely belived to each other.
As a result - the long Peter's meditations and given
a pawn for him from Bolgarian as in a compensation for
that. As a consequence a dull game on a little
revolutions. It seems they will not be the generals...:)
The Russians were today on an unattainable height -
keep so!!!
